A/N ~ Personally I love this story. There is not going to be anything big and dramatic about this, the aim is only to tell the story of Harry getting to know a ten year old son that he has never met and to show the progression of their relationship from strangers to father and son. I hope that those of you who enjoyed it so far continue to do so. Oh and I promise that the next time I upload a chapter it will be for MOI
Consequences - chpt 2
It had been decided by someone, not him, he had not been consulted, that they would be staying at Harry's house, his father's house. The day had been so surreal, if Mathew was honest with himself he'd fantasised about something like this happening since he was really young. Ever since he'd found out that his father was dead and his mother wasn't in touch with any of her old friends anymore he'd hoped that somehow, when they went home (his mother always referred to it as home so he'd come to think of it that way) his father would be there miraculously alive. He couldn't believe that it was actually happening. At the moment his mum and dad were holed up in one of the bedrooms talking, leaving him with only the television for company. But Mathew wasn't interested in the T.V because he had found a book lying on the coffee table called "Flying with the Cannons" and finally he was going to be able to find out about Quidditch.
***
In Harry's bedroom, Hermione sat on the bed tears streaming down her face while Harry paced back and forth, trying to get a handle on the situation.
`I can't believe I have a ten year old son.' He said for what must have been the fiftieth time that afternoon.
`I can't believe you're alive.' Hermione said looking up at him with her tearstained face.
Harry sat down beside her and put his arms around her, `I never stopped loving you Hermione, I tried everything I could think of to find you. I knew you'd be back one day and I never gave up hope.'
`I never stopped loving you either, I thought you were dead but I couldn't let go. That's why I went into hiding, I just couldn't stand the thought of being here surrounded by all of these things that reminded me of you, being pregnant with your child, and you not being around.'
`I know that and I do understand, really. I'm glad you were going to send him to Hogwarts.'
Hermione just smiled at him, `Are you going to tell me now Harry?'
Harry sighed; he knew exactly what she meant no clarification was needed on that topic.
`You were there when I cast Avada Kedavra at him weren't you?' he asked trying to piece together exactly where he needed to start his story. Hermione nodded eager for him to continue.
`Then you saw that he cast the spell at the same time and our wands joined?' Hermione nodded again.
`Well once that happened it was fourth year all over again, only this time I knew that I couldn't let go and run away, I had to keep pushing until I broke through and killed him. I knew that's what would happen, when my Dad's shadow appeared he told me it would work. So I just focused on you and how much I needed to survive and I kept pushing. When his wand had regurgitated all the spells it had ever cast, my spell finally broke through, shattered his wand, and killed him. But the magical backlash was so strong it disintegrated parts of my robes and sent me clear across the pond to America. Ron told me that all you found underneath the rubble was Voldemort's dead body and a pile of ash with my wand on top of it where I had been standing. I guess it's understandable that every one thought I was dead.'
Harry sighed and stood up again. `But you can't imagine the predicament I was in, there I was, stuck in America, in robes that were in tatters, with no muggle money, no I.D, and no wand. I had to beg on the streets just to get enough money to eat. It felt like ages until I had enough money to catch a bus to the nearest big city. You've got no idea how many thousands of times I tried apparating Hermione, but I just couldn't do it without my wand. When I finally got to a big city I wandered around for ages trying to find something like Diagon Alley. I knew I'd never be able to travel internationally the muggle way without I.D so the only choice I had was to try and find other wizards and try and get a Portkey back. The longer it took me the more I began to panic, I kind of knew that everyone would probably think I was dead. By the time I finally managed to get back here nearly a year had gone by and you were long gone.'
Hermione nodded her head in understanding, `Well what do we do now?'
Harry shrugged, `I know that biologically I'm Mathew's father, but you've raised him, I don't even really know what good parents do except by watching the Weasley's. So you tell me, what is the best thing for our son?'
His question nearly broke Hermione's heart, `I think Matt would love to get to know you Harry. He asks questions about you all the time, and he's grown up hearing my stories about you.'
Harry laughed, `well at least if the stories came from you they won't be exaggerated,' he sobered then and spoke again more seriously, `honestly though, I want nothing more than to spend some time getting to know him but, what about our relationship? What are we going to do about that?'
`I don't know, what do you want to do?' Hermione asked not meeting his eyes.
`I want you to move in here, I want to try to be a family with you. If everything goes as well as I hope it will I want to marry you, make us a real family. I've spent the last eleven years thinking about you I'd love nothing more than to have another chance with you.'
Hermione looked at him tears once more streaming down her face, `I want that too Harry.'
Harry smiled at her and wiped the tears from her face with the pads of his thumbs before he leaned in and kissed her softly.
***
Mathew was halfway through reading the book when his Mum and Dad (it was so weird to suddenly have a Dad) came out of the other room holding hands and sat down next to him on the sofa. After his Mum's revelation earlier he hadn't spoken to his Dad at all, in fact he felt like this was the first time he had even gotten a good look at him and he really was amazed at how much they looked alike. They'd left Ron's house pretty quickly and as soon as they'd arrived here the two of them had hidden themselves in the other room. Mathew felt the man deserved his full attention so he set down the book he'd been reading and turned to face them.
It was his mother that spoke first, `I'm going to head back to the Burrow and catch up with Ron and Ginny for a bit, it'll give you two a little time to get to know each other ok?'
Harry smiled at her, he must have known already that this was the plan Mathew realised, a bit worried about what he and his new found father would do together. Bravely Mathew hid his fears and smiled at his mother, `Ok that sounds fine Mum.'
She smiled back at him, `You'll be fine, and I'll be back in a couple of hours' With a pop she apparated away leaving him alone with his father.
The book he'd laid aside attracted his father's attention,
`What's that you were reading?' he asked his brow furrowing.
`Flying with the Cannons, it was just on the coffee table, I didn't think you'd mind.' Mathew said quickly suddenly worried he'd done the wrong thing.
`No it's fine,' Harry rushed to re-assured him, `I just wondered that's all, so do you like quidditch?' He asked in a tone that suggested he was as nervous as Mathew was.
Surprisingly hearing his fathers nervousness eased his own a little and Mathew was able to respond easily.
`Well Mum's mentioned it a few times, she said you were, I mean are, good at it but until I picked up that book today I didn't really know what it was about.'
Harry looked horrified, `Are you serious? She told me she tried to raise you how I would have wanted!' Mathew didn't quite know how to take this his Mum had said that his dad loved quidditch but he didn't think it'd be this important.
`I'm sure she, I mean, I don't know if there was quidditch in Melbourne.' He stammered unsure of how to respond.
Harry smiled, `It's ok I was mostly joking, I suppose she wouldn't really have considered it that important, Do you like sport? Or are you more like your Mum in that regard, you know, prefer reading?'
`well I do like sport, but I like reading too…' Mathew said slowly trying to be as truthful as possible.
`That's good, best of both worlds,' his dad replied reassuringly, `Have you ever flown a broom before?'
`No, Mum said I'd learn when I went to Hogwarts.' Mathew replied uncertainly.
From Mathew's perspective the conversation didn't seem to be going well at all he was absolutely certain that he was already a huge disappointment to his father and they'd only been talking for five minutes.
`I'd like to learn though,' he added dully looking down at his hands.
`Well how about we go and get you a broom then and I'll teach you to fly this afternoon?'
Mathew looked up at his Dad in surprise and found that he was smiling, he couldn't understand why this was making him so happy.
`But aren't brooms expensive? I wouldn't want you to waste you money, I mean I've never flown before. What if I'm no good?'
Strangely Harry laughed, Mathew was starting to feel like he was missing something important, he couldn't understand this man at all.
`You're a Potter! Of course you'll be good!' he exclaimed clapping him on the back `Come on lets go get you a broom.'
They took the floo to Diagon Alley and appeared at the other end of the swirling green flames in The Leaky Cauldron, the famous wizzarding pub in London that his Mum had told him about.
Harry was now looking around as though he was nervous about something and before they'd taken a few steps he pulled him into a corner.
`Matt,' he whispered looking over his shoulder, `er, sorry it is ok for me to call you Matt isn't it?'
`Sure it's fine,' Matt replied confused.
`Her… I mean, your Mum, told me that she told you about, you know, how people react to me.'
`Yeah, she said I'd cause bedlam.'
`Well honestly I'm sure she did as much as she could to prepare you, but I don't think there is anyway of preparing someone, and she's been gone a long time and things have gotten a fair bit worse since she left.'
`Ok'
`Well, do you want to face it or do you want me to do a spell so that no-one will notice you?' Harry asked looking at him intently.
Mathew couldn't think, he suddenly found himself looking into eyes he'd only ever seen before in the mirror and it hit him like a brick to the stomach that this was his father. He'd known it before but now that they were really face to face like this he could really, really, see it, aside from the age difference they were practically identical. He was so overwhelmed by this sudden insight that he couldn't speak.
Harry touched his arm obviously misunderstanding the reason for his discomfort,
`I'm not ashamed in any way to admit that you're my son, I don't want you to think that at all, I just thought it might make you more comfortable. That's all, I promise.'
`I know that,' Mathew managed to choke out, `but, if you don't mind, I think I'd prefer to go as I am.'
Harry smiled at him, `I have no problem with that at all, now lets go get you a broom.'
***
By the time they arrived at Quality Quidditch supplies Mathew was fairly certain that the front page of the special evening edition would contain a photo of him walking down the street with his father. He had noticed no less than ten camera flashes and almost every single person they had passed had stopped to stare at them. It was a relief to be inside the store at last and Mathew sincerely hoped that the store manager wasn't also a groupie of his fathers.
`Mr Potter, how can I help you?' The store clerk asked rushing over to them the second they entered.
`Hi,' his father replied easily, clearly used to being recognised by complete strangers, `I'm here to get a broom for my son. Is the Firebolt still top of the line?'
The shop assistant gawked at him when Harry called him his son but returned his attention to Harry quickly with the question about the Firebolt.
`Well the Firebolt is the best broom, but maybe a little too responsive for a first broom. It speeds up awfully quickly and may be a bit dangerous for a beginner.'
His Dad seemed to consider this for a moment, `She would kill me if anything happened to him, but the Firebolt also stops and turns quicker than anything else so that counteracts the quick acceleration doesn't it?'
The sales assistant laughed, `I guess it would. Why don't I show the young man the Firebolt and see what he thinks of it?'
`That sounds like a great idea.'
Mathew didn't know how he was supposed to make a decision on it. He barely knew one end of a broom from the other. Before he had a chance to work up a good amount of panic about it the sales assistant was back and clutching the most beautiful broom in the whole world.
`WOW…' he said as soon as he saw it, not even thinking before he spoke.
His father laughed at the reaction, `I think that's a yes, we'll take it.'
Harry apparated them back to his house and collected his own broom, which Mathew noticed was also a Firebolt.
`My Godfather gave it to me,' He explained when he saw Mathew looking at it.
`Ok now, at Hogwarts when I had my first flying lesson the brooms were all lying on the ground and we had to put our hand over it and say up. But the Firebolt, you see, hovers perfectly at waist height so you don't have to do that.'
Mathew let go of his broom and with some shock saw that his broom did indeed hover at waist height.
`Cool'
Harry smiled, `Yeah it is pretty cool. Now, mount your broom and grip the handle like this.' He said demonstrating with his own hand grip.
Mathew copied his Dad, `like this?' He asked.
`Exactly,'
Matt smiled, `Ok, now what?'
Harry returned the smile, `Now you push off from the ground, lean forward to go faster, sit up to slow down, lean from side to side to change direction, push down on the broom handle to land or dive, and pull upwards to go up. It's pretty simple and it'll probably be instinct for you. Ok?'
`Ok.'
Taking a deep breath Matt pushed off from the ground and soared into the air, the wind whipped through his hair and he suddenly understood what his Dad had meant when he'd said it would be instinct. It was easy and so much fun.
`Hey there, you're doing really well,' Harry called out, `Want to play tag? See if you can catch me?'
`Sure!'
They took off Matt following his father easily through a succession of increasingly more difficult and dangerous loops twirls and dives. By the time he finally caught him and they landed they were both out of breath and flushed in the face.
`That was fantastic Matt, Well Done! I knew you'd be a natural.'
`Thanks for teaching me to fly Dad, it was great!'
He heard his father suck in a breath suddenly before replying, `No problem Matt it was my pleasure.'
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